Words by Nick Slay
Fan favorite of the hit TV show That 70’s Show Danny Masterson, is the latest to be swept up in a sexual misconduct controversy. Masterson who played Hyde (the wise cracking conspiracy theorist with a heart of gold) was the latest to lose his acting gig due to his past seemingly coming back to haunt him. Like many other accused celebrities, victims said Masterson crossed the line over a decade ago.
Like his counterparts, Masterson maintains his innocence for the rape allegations levied against him. What makes his story unique is that Masterson claims that 15 years ago authorities looked into his case and cleared him of all wrong doing. He complains that he is being let go from his newest sitcom, The Ranch due to the bad publicity, however there isn’t any proof he committed the crime.
For those of you that aren’t savvy to, The Ranch it is a new sitcom on the streaming TV service Netflix and is produced by his former castmate and tech investor Ashton Cutcher. “As a result of ongoing discussions, Netflix and the producers have written Danny Masterson out of The Ranch,” a Netflix spokesman said in a statement to CNN Tuesday. “Yesterday was his last day on the show, and production will resume in early 2018 without him.”
Masterson being very vocal about his disappointment in how he was treated, feels that this a country where you’re supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. However, the current climate where industry giants like Harvey Weinsten and Matt Lauer have seen their careers and legacies crumble while under the microscope of law enforcement probe of his sexual misconduct, you are presumed guilty the moment you are accused.
If you’re wondering, his current trial in the court of public opinion dates back to March when journalist and former Village Voice editor Tony Ortega wrote on his site, “The Underground Bunker,” that Masterson was being investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department. The accusations were brought to light when interviewed by Leah Remeni as part of her documentary on Scientology. Chrissie Carnell Bixler, while being interviewed by The Daily Beast (one of Masterson’s accussors), said she decided to go public after the Huffington Post reported Netflix would continue to work with Masterson pending the investigation.
